


Red Burgundy

by slashyrogue



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Bartender Will, Customer Hannibal, Dark Will, Hannibal is a Cannibal, M/M, Teensy bit of Sugar Daddy Hannibal if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 08:59:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6899572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashyrogue/pseuds/slashyrogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will is working the late night shift at the bar and ready to close when one customer comes in and orders a very expensive bottle of wine. He soon realizes that this customer is not like anyone he's ever met before and soon can't stop thinking about him despite knowing Hannibal Lecter is a killer. </p><p>A Christmas story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The bar was nearly empty and Will was thankful that finally he could hear himself think. He had taken the Christmas shift again this year since all the lonely drinkers seemed to come out wanting a sympathetic ear and always had very generous wallets.

There was an hour left before close and nearing two a.m. when he walked in, a Santa hat askew on his head and a confident swagger in his step.

“A glass of red burgundy, please.”

Will blinked. The bottle had been a running joke since he’d worked here. No one would ever order it but it had been here since its opening or so he’d been told.

“Um…we only sell that by the bottle.”

The man smiled and said, “Then give me the bottle.”

Will frowned. “It’s $15,000.”

The man took out his wallet and handed Will a credit card. He looked at the name: Hannibal Lecter. He put it through and it instantly was approved. He uncorked the bottle and poured it into a wine glass. “Kind of an expensive Christmas present to yourself, Hannibal.”

Hannibal laughed, taking the glass and sipping it slowly. “I have no one else to buy for, “he eyed Will’s name tag,“Will.”

“No girlfriend? Boyfriend? Family?”

Hannibal shook his head. “It is just myself and no one else.”

He sipped the Burgundy slowly for the next half hour, saying nothing and watching Will like a hawk the entire time he cleaned up the bar.

There was one other patron sitting in the far back that came up to pay his tab, tipping his hat to Will and leaving him with no tip. He sighed, knowing that it happened more often than not but tonight nearly everyone had.

Hannibal asked suddenly, “Is something the matter?”

Will shrugged. “Got stiffed for a tip. It happens, but tonight this is the first one.”

“I will be tipping you, Will, do not worry.”

Will laughed, “You paid fifteen grand for that bottle. What you’re gonna tip me three thousand dollars?”

“I will tip you as I see fit. As I’ve said, there is no one but myself to spend my money on. To enjoy your company and view your beautiful countenance for this past half hour has been worth every penny.”

Will blushed, wiping the counter. “I haven’t really been the best company, you’re not like the others. They usually want to talk, you haven’t said a word.”

“Sometime of the time just another person in the room is company enough for me.”

Will nodded, “I…yeah I get that.”

“Do you have a significant other in your life or family to spend Christmas with?”

Will shook his head. “I have dogs.”

Hannibal smiled. “They are very significant in your life.”

Will nodded, “There’s seven of them so it takes up a lot of my time.”

Hannibal’s eyes widened slightly as he laughed, “Seven?” before he took out a pack of cigarettes, stopping himself. “Do you mind?”

Will frowned, looking outside. The snow was coming down hard and the bar didn’t generally allow smoking inside after the ban. But just one wouldn’t hurt.

“Just one.”

Hannibal lit his cigarette and inhaled, closing his eyes before letting it out.

“It has been nearly two years since I’ve had one and it still feels like I never stopped.”

Will frowned. “Why start again?”

He smiled. “It is the anniversary of my family’s deaths. I smoke one each year for each of them. This one is for my sister.”

Will swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

“It has been a very long time but I still feel the loss like it was yesterday. There is no need for you to apologize, but thank you for the sentiment.”

Will put a hand on Hannibal’s where it sat on the bar. “Still, I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose anyone but to lose everyone? I can’t even imagine.”

Hannibal turned his palm up and intertwined his fingers with Will’s own. “I was quite young when it occurred, but the significance to my life was staggering.”

Will ran his thumb over Hannibal’s finger and said, “My father died when I was in high school, but it wasn’t…how did they die?”

Hannibal sighed, squeezing Will’s hand as he confessed, “They were murdered by men that broke into our home. I woke up when I heard the screams.”

Will leaned in closer. “Oh god, Hannibal I’m so sorry.”

Hannibal said, “So am I. My life would’ve been different if I’d only woken up sooner.”

“No you can’t think that, you were young there was nothing you could’ve done.”

He smiled at Will, bringing Will’s hand to his lips. “I am very lucky that you were here this late night, Will.”

Will smiled. “Yeah, I’m starting to think I am too.”

When they kissed it was so soft that Will hungered for more as Hannibal pulled away. “Perfection.”

Will laughed, shaking his head. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why the hat?”

Hannibal smirked. “I took it off the person I killed before coming here.”

Will laughed, “Yeah, sure. No really.”

Hannibal laughed. “What makes you not believe I could be a killer?”

Will shook his head still smiling. “You’re not a killer, most killers keep their confessions to themselves. At least the smart ones do.”

Hannibal squeezed his fingers again, bringing Will’s hand to his lips once more. “I am quite a smart killer. No one would ever suspect me.”

Will laughed. “And why is that?”

“No one ever suspects the killer with the sad past, the young good looking one who is very social but always alone.”

Will said, still smiling, “That should be the one they suspect most of all.”

Hannibal nodded, “Clever boy,” he praised, running his fingers over Will’s hand, “Do you still not believe me?

Will’s smile fell. “Hannibal this isn’t funny.”

Hannibal was no longer smiling either. “I am not laughing, Will. Do I look like I am laughing?”

Will’s breathing started to become labored as he shook his head, “No. You…you really killed him?”

Hannibal smiled, nodding, “There was a rude man who pushed passed me as I left the gas station. I killed him slowly with a scalpel. He is still in the trunk of my car.

Will moved to take his hand away and Hannibal held on. "That’s not….there are a lot of rude people in the world. I could’ve been rude. I still could be. I…”

Hannibal did not let go. “But you were not and are not. I find you very fascinating, Will. Someone worth so much more than this.”

Will felt tears in his eyes. “Please, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I believe you, your silence is not in question. I am very good at keeping a low profile the man I killed this evening died screaming as I tore his nails from his fingers. No one heard a thing, I know exactly the place to crush to make screaming quieter almost non existent. The larynx is very easily broken.”

Will was shaking now, picturing it in graphic detail, “Please. Just let me go. I…”

Hannibal took another drag and put the cigarette out before touching Will’s face. “Before I mentioned murder you were much more sympathetic.”

Will laughed, tears flowing freely now. “You weren’t a murderer then, you were just…”

Hannibal leaned in and brought their mouths close enough to kiss. “Would you have let me take you home with me? Spent Christmas morning in my bed?”

Will was shaking so hard but he no longer tried to pull away. “Yes.”

“I could be lying still, trying to scare you.”

Will whispered, “I know you’re not lying.”

Hannibal smiled, “Clever boy, how do you that?”

Will said, “Your pulse never wavered when you described it to me. I could feel it against mine.”

Hannibal sighed, “Could you? When I spoke earlier you did not believe, you could feel it then.”

“I didn’t want to believe you, I didn’t…” He wiped away one of Will’s tears and Will said, “Please let me go.”

Hannibal kissed his cheek and went in close to whisper, “I would never hurt you, there is nothing for you to fear from me,” before letting him go.

He did and Will scrambled back as far as he could, watching as Hannibal held up his hands. “I will pay my tab now.”

Will said, “You already have. Please go.”

Hannibal frowned. “Your tip.”

Will shook his head.

He watched Hannibal leave, falling to the floor once he was gone and as he closed up the bar, Will noticed the signed receipt amongst his others had a phone number written on it next to Hannibal’s name.

The night could’ve turned out so differently.

Driving home he couldn’t stop thinking of Hannibal, of the words he’d said of the man he’d spoken of killing, though his thoughts wandered more often to the man spending Christmas alone again for another year.

The fact that he felt sorry for Hannibal’s Christmas alone said more about Will’s own mind than he cared to admit.

He woke on Christmas morning to a package on his porch and fighting every instinct he’d ever had Will opened it to find $10,000 in cash inside with a note:

If you ever think yourself alone, think of me. I regret our missed opportunity, I could have given you everything you crave. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Hannibal

Will did nothing with the money, telling himself that when he looked up Hannibal Lecter’s address that it was so he could return it, leave it on his doorstep to get rid of it. That he just wanted to be sure that he knew exactly where he was as a precaution.

When he drove there it was to sever all ties with him, he’d wait till he left the house and put the money in the mailbox and leave.

He sat outside in his car watching the house, hands shaking as he saw Hannibal walk out of the house, pause and turn.

His smile made Will shiver.

Will knew he should drive away, give the money to a charity and never come back here again but instead he rolled down his window.

Hannibal walked over and leaned into the window, the smell of tobacco and cologne filling Will’s nose he was so close. “I was under the impression that you were frightened of me.”

Will swallowed. “I am. I came to give you back the money.”

Hannibal frowned, “That was your tip for the evening, do not deny yourself what you were owed.”

Will’s hand was shaking as he ticked the bag he’d brought the money in. “I don’t…it isn’t right to have it.”

Hannibal licked his lips and asked, “Would you like to come inside? We can discuss the merits of right and wrong over dinner.”

Will shook his head. “No.”

Hannibal reached over slowly, sighing when Will allowed him to touch his face. “You will eventually, I saw the spark in your eyes when I spoke of my kill. You feel it too, the pull.”

Will tried to tell himself that wasn’t true.

“I don’t.”

Hannibal leaned in and kissed his cheek, pressing his cheek to Will’s own before whispering, “Did you think of the man I told you I had killed? Did you remember my words of his muffled screams and wonder just how long I let him live? What I did with the body? What else did I do to him? The final terrified breath as he perished?”

Will was panting now, feeling every word right down to his center. “I…”

Hannibal licked his ear and continued, “I would have loved to have you there, Will, watching me slit his throat and cut out his heart to give you as a gift. I still have it. Would you like to see it?”

Will moaned, “Hannibal, I…”

Hannibal opened the car door, pulling Will out and pushing him against the car. They were both rock hard in their pants and Will ached everywhere.

He touched Will’s cheek and said, “Inside, Zudikas. If you want more of me and more of yourself.”

He left Will aching and confused, staring at his back as he entered the house. Will stood there for several minutes before he took off towards the house, tears on his cheeks and a fire beginning to burn.

More, he needed so much more.


	2. Chapter 2

The inside of the house was nicer than any Will had ever been in before, though he found he couldn’t move past the doorway standing and watching as Hannibal went further inside.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

Hannibal stopped walking, turning to smile at Will. “Don’t you? Do you not imagine what it would feel like, watching someone die? Holding the choice whether they continue existing in your hands?”

Will let out a breath, hands clenched at his sides. “I…it’s not…normal, to think like that.”

Hannibal came walking back to him, stopping and reaching out to take Will’s hand. He was trembling but gave it easily, letting Hannibal turn his palm up and trace patterns into it.

“Have you never been so done with stupidity that you would rather someone ceased to exist rather than allowed to continue on?”

Will swallowed and said, “People think that but they don’t actually do it. It’s not…”

Hannibal licked his palm making Will moan. “But I do, sweet Will. I do. Would you like to see the fruits of my labors?”

Will confessed, “Yes.”

Hannibal led him to the kitchen, letting go of Will’s hand to walk to the refrigerator and open it. He took out a container and set it on the counter, taking Will’s hand again and putting Will in front of him.

“Open it.”

Will had tears in his eyes and he shook his head, “I…I can’t. I…”

Hannibal took Will’s hand and opened the container, his chin on Will’s shoulder as he whispered, “He screamed as I cut him, I tore into him without thought and my hands were covered in blood though I made sure to wear protective clothing and gloves. The warm heart in my hands was a temptation, I wanted to bite into it and chew the pieces but the anticipation is making it that much sweeter,” he pressed his lips to Will’s neck, “I long to share it with you. Would you like to taste it, Zudikas?”

Will’s face was covered in tears as he nodded, pressing himself back against Hannibal as he fought to breathe. “I…I…yes. God, I want…please.”

Hannibal smiled against his skin. “I would love to cook it beside you, Will. Watch your mouth water as we shared in this together. Would you help me?”

Will let out a whine, “I don’t…”

“I will help you, Zudikas, teach you, there is no wrong answer except the truth.”

Will turned his head and kissed him, moaning into the touch that seemed to calm Will’s nerves. Hannibal caressed his cheek, eyeing him with soft smiling eyes waiting for an answer.

“I want to taste.”


End file.
